BACKGROUND

In 1992 the U.S. Department of Transportation designated five potential regional high-speed rail corridors across the

country. The Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor would extend high-speed rail service south, from Washington to

Richmond, Va., Raleigh and Charlotte, N.C. The SEHSR corridor was later expanded and is now part of a more

comprehensive national plan (see map on back).

In 1997, the USDOT reported* that the Southeast High-Speed Rail corridor, when connected with the existing Northeast

Corridor, could generate more revenue than any other proposed high-speed rail route in the country. They estimated that

the SEHSR route could generate $2.54 in benefits for every dollar spent to develop and operate it and it would be the only

such route to cover its operating costs from passenger revenues.

Establishing a federal/state funding partnership will facilitate project development.

*”High Speed Ground Transportation for America,” 1997, USDOT

Greensboro

Raleigh

Richmond

Charlotte

Lexington

Winston-Salem

Petersburg

Washington, DC

During the past decade, Virginia and North Carolina have been working

to improve their existing rail systems by addressing both passenger 

and freight rail needs. The states have partnered with the local freight

railroads to enhance safety, increase capacity and improve reliability.

They also have been working to address future needs for high-speed

passenger rail service.

The two states recently completed a Tier I Environmental Impact

Statement identifying the preferred corridor for the Washington, D.C. 

to Charlotte, N.C. portion of the Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor

(SEHSR). This Implementation Plan gives an overview of upcoming

activities along the different segments of that selected corridor. 

DRAFT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

for Southeast High-Speed Rail

Washington, DC to Charlotte, NC

OCTOBER 2002
Greensboro

Raleigh

Richmond

Charlotte

Lexington

Winston-Salem

Petersburg

Washington, DC

RALEIGH TO CHARLOTTE

(Passenger service currently operates on this section)

Step 1 ■ Signalize between Greensboro 

and Raleigh

■ Improve crossings

■ Increase spirals & super elevation

Time frame: within 2 years

Step 2 ■ Extend sidings

■ Replace double track

■ Increase spirals & super elevation

■ Realign numerous curves

■ Improve crossings 

Time frame: within 5 years

Step 3 ■ Add third track as appropriate

Time frame: within 10 years

WINSTON-SALEM CONNECTION 

(No passenger service currently operates on this section)

Step 1 Winston-Salem to Greensboro

Development will depend on

Piedmont Authority for Regional

Transportation (PART) plans for

regional rail service. Studies will

proceed accordingly. 

Time frame: within 5 years

Step 2 Winston-Salem to Lexington

Studies will proceed based on PART

plans. Engineering costs and

ridership/revenue projections will be

adjusted accordingly.

Time frame: within 8 years

PETERSBURG (Collier Yard) 

TO RALEIGH 

(No passenger service currently operates on this section)

Step 1 ■ Coordinate access with CSX

■ Prepare Environmental Impact

Statement 

Time frame: within 5 years

Step 2 ■ Begin preliminary engineering

Time frame: within 8 years

Step 3 ■ Restore track and signals

Time frame: within 10 years

WASHINGTON, DC TO PETERSBURG

(Collier Yard)

(Passenger service currently operates on this section)

Step 1 ■ Improve crossovers 

■ Add third track as appropriate

■ Replace and expand bridges

■ Upgrade track to Class V

■ Improve Richmond Main Street

Station access

■ Perform preliminary engineering

and environmental work from

Collier Yard to Centralia

Time frame: within 5 years

Step 2 ■ Add third and fourth track as 

appropriate

■ Improve rail infrastructure from

Collier Yard to Centralia 

Time frame: within 8 years
WASHINGTON, DC TO PETERSBURG (Collier Yard)

Most of this 137-mile segment shares right of way with

CSX’s main line (“A-Line”) that is used by 40-50 freight

trains and 10 Amtrak passenger trains daily. Virginia

Railway Express (VRE) commuter service also operates over

this line between Fredericksburg and Washington. A

feasibility study is underway to determine if the former

C&O line from Richmond north to Doswell, VA can be

developed for passenger rail service.

For several years, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public

Transportation, VRE, Metro, CSX and Amtrak have been

working together to improve the A-Line from Richmond to

Washington to ease traffic flow through this crowded area.

The agencies have rebuilt the interlocking near the

Potomac River, expanded sidings for the Auto-Train facilities

at Lorton, built a third track through Potomac Yard,

rehabilitated several bridges, tunnels and stations, and

improved signals. The agencies have improved and

eliminated various grade crossings and will add a double

track bridge at Quantico Creek, as well as additional

projects to expand capacity.

Even with these improvements, capacity on this stretch of

railroad is still near saturation. To accommodate the freight

and passenger growth needs of all users and institute highspeed passenger service, a third track will need to be built

in phases between south Alexandria and Richmond. Tracks

also will need to be upgraded to accommodate 110 mph

speeds. 

PETERSBURG (Collier Yard) TO RALEIGH

This 128-mile route segment was once the Seaboard Air

Line Railroad main line (“S-Line”) between Raleigh and

Richmond. The Raleigh to Norlina portion is an active CSX

freight line with two to four daily freight trains. CSX took

the Norlina to Petersburg section out of service in 1985

and removed all the track and signals. The first priority for

developing this segment is to reach an agreement with

CSX to use the corridor. After completing environmental

documentation, most of the track infrastructure from

Norlina to Petersburg will have to be rebuilt. Reconstructing

this portion of track not only will benefit high-speed rail

operations, but also will help relieve traffic congestion on

CSX’s parallel main line (“A-Line”).

The Triangle Transit Authority (TTA) plans to construct a

double track commuter line along the same right of way

from Raleigh toward Wake Forest. The main tracks in this

section also will be upgraded to accommodate higher

speeds and a train control signal system will need to be

installed.

RALEIGH TO CHARLOTTE

This 174-mile portion of the SEHSR route is owned by the

North Carolina Railroad (NCRR) and operated under a

trackage rights agreement by the Norfolk Southern Railway

(NS). The Greensboro to Charlotte section is Norfolk

Southern’s busiest rail line in the state with up to 40 freight

trains a day. Four to six passenger trains also run between

Raleigh and Charlotte and three or more transit authorities

could eventually share portions of this right of way. In

addition, CSX freight trains run between Cary and Raleigh.

Significant stretches of double track were removed

between Charlotte and Greensboro in the late 1950s to

save maintenance costs. These single-track sections greatly

hinder freight flow and delay passenger trains. To provide

sufficient track capacity and improve schedule reliability,

the double tracks will need to be replaced and curves

realigned. Although the Greensboro to Raleigh segment is

not as busy, this single-track line also needs improvement

as it is very curvy, lacks train signals and adequate passing

sidings. 

The NCDOT, NCRR and NS are now constructing a $24

million improvement program that will add a train control

system, install some double tracks, extend several sidings,

and realign and super elevate curves so that trains can

operate at higher speeds. These improvements are a

building block to higher speed operations. Speeds up to

110 mph are possible but would require stretches of

dedicated third track to separate freight and high-speed

passenger trains for safety. 

WINSTON-SALEM CONNECTION

Service to Winston-Salem would be provided over the

Norfolk Southern “K-Line” between Greensboro and

Winston-Salem and the Winston-Salem Southbound (WSSB)

from Winston-Salem to Lexington. Both lines carry two to

four freight trains per day and have complex engineering

and environmental issues that must be resolved before

either line can be used for passenger service. 

The Greensboro to Winston-Salem line has higher priority

for improvement because the Piedmont Authority for

Regional Transportation (PART) has chosen this as its first

commuter rail route. Studies will focus on developing rail

service in this narrow right of way and eliminating multiple

grade crossings. The NCDOT and PART will work together

to plan and develop joint transit and intercity passenger

use in this segment. 

Future passenger use of the WSSB line would allow for a

better north-south flow of service through Winston-Salem,

but would involve completely rebuilding and reconfiguring

the track to intersect with the NCRR in Lexington.
HIGH-SPEED RAIL CORRIDORS

High-Speed Rail Corridors

Federally Designated

Existing Amtrak Service (conventional)

Eugene

Portland

Seattle

Vancouver

San Francisco

Sacramento

Los Angeles Oklahoma City

Tulsa

Little Rock

St. Louis

Milwaukee

Minneapolis/St. Paul

Dallas/Fort Worth

Austin

New Orleans

Miami

Orlando

Jacksonville

Savannah

Columbia

Raleigh

Hampton Roads

Richmond

Washingon, DC

Philadelphia

New York

Boston

Montreal

Albany

Pittsburgh

Cleveland

Mobile

Birmingham

Atlanta

Louisville

Cincinnati

Columbus

Chicago

Detroit

Buffalo

Tampa

Charlotte

San Antonio

Houston

STATIONS

North Carolina and Virginia have begun rehabilitating or

expanding many passenger stations during the past

decade. Historic stations have been rehabilitated in

Salisbury, High Point, Greensboro, Raleigh, Main Street

Station in Richmond, Fredericksburg and Alexandria.

Conceptual studies have been completed for the WinstonSalem Union Station renovation. 

However, the most challenging projects are those multimodal stations that facilitate seamless transfer among the

various modes of transportation. Richmond’s Main Street

Station is one example. The three-phase renovation project

for the station that serves the central city will be completed

in 2006. 

In North Carolina, planning has just begun for the new

Raleigh multi-modal station, but elements of it and the

Durham multi-modal station must be completed before

TTA begins service in 2007. Renovation of the transit

portion of the historic Greensboro station is almost

complete, while rehabilitation of the rail passenger portion

is now underway. One of the largest projects in

development is the new Charlotte multi-modal station in

the uptown business district. Design and property

acquisition have begun, with completion anticipated by

2008.

EQUIPMENT AND SERVICE IMPROVEMENT

While infrastructure improvements are critical to highspeed rail development, new train sets also are necessary

to bring high-speed passenger rail service to the Southeast. 

At least eight high-speed train sets will be needed for

service between Charlotte and Washington, D.C. Each train

would have a capacity of about 280 passengers in first

class and coach, with space for 24 additional passengers in

lounge and dining facilities. The train would be powered

by two high-speed locomotives (one at each end). 

Rail travel between major cities in North Carolina and

Virginia, as well as to the population centers along the

Northeast Corridor, would be much more convenient and

reliable. The high-speed trains, coupled with major

infrastructure and capacity improvements, would reduce

travel times between Raleigh and Charlotte to between 

2 – 2.5 hours. Travel time between Richmond and Raleigh

would be shortened to between 2.5 – 2.75 hours. In North

Carolina, additional round trips would be added between

Raleigh and Charlotte. 

As improvements are made and travel time is reduced,

ridership along the SEHSR corridor will increase and

frequencies will be added. Service expansion to Hampton

Roads, VA, Greenville/Spartanburg, S.C., Altanta and

Macon, GA also are being studied.